The use of hot tubs or spas for recreation and therapeutic purposes has become pervasive over the last several years. Such tubs have various operating components, some of which include water and air jets, heaters, water pumps, air blowers and valves of different types which are used to initiate, terminate or modify fluid and air flow to the jets and the liquid used in the spa.
Such of such components are generally operated through manual or electrical controls. For example, air jets are typically operated manually through a rotating shaft type arrangement, the handle which may be turned by the user. The water pumps are typically operated electrically with appropriate controls provided for easy access by the user. The use of electrical power on a spa, however, particularly around the controls operated by a user, can create an unsafe or potentially deadly hazard because of the ability of leaking electricity to run through the user in order to seek a ground. This is particularly applicable to a spa since the water in a typical spa has enhanced conductivity because of the added chemicals.
In a typical spa, the user will manually rotate a handle which is ordinarily connected to a rheostat. The rheostat is used to control the power applied to the heater and line voltage is applied through the rheostat to the pump. The rotating handle is sealed from the rheostat by a rotating seal element but such seals are over time, the seal can deteriorate thus permitting current leakage. Although a ground fault interrupt circuit may be present on the spa, its operation is not guaranteed and, even if the GFI is operating correctly, there may still be injury or death caused to individuals who are particularly susceptible and sensitive to electrical current.
A further disadvantage with existing spas is the use of water or "neck" jets which typically eject water downwardly onto the neck of a user. These jets extend outwardly a distance from the wall of the spa and water is ejected inwardly back towards the wall in order to avoid water splash from the jets. Such inwardly sloping walls, however, are difficult to construct, particularly in a molding operation.
A further disadvantage with existing spas relates to the solenoid operated air valves. Typically, a vacuum will exist in the valve. The closure member will cover the orifice of the outlet through which the vacuum acts. When the closure member is opened by a solenoid, the solenoid must be powerful enough to completely and simultaneously remove the closure member from the orifice while the suction force is acting on the closure member across the area of the entire orifice. The power required to open such a closure member is unnecessarily large which results in a larger, more powerful and costly solenoid being used than is necessary.
The use of fiber optics can be desirable in many applications. For example, it may well be appropriate to separate power components in any operation from user operated switches because of the chance of electrical shock or because of the potential for a hazardous condition such as fire being present. Although fiber optics are typically used for transmitting light signals to a destination, using such fiber optics as control elements would be beneficial.
In utilizing fiber optics as control elements, the fiber optics must be appropriately wired or "fibered" to their respective switches and operating components. Typically a bundle of fibers is used. Since each of the fibers in the bundle requires an appropriate position, the process of determining which fibers are the relevant ones and the process of locating those relevant fibers can be tedious and time consuming in the fibering operation.